We have just had two recess weeks which coincide with the school holidays, and I have been busy out and about across the electorate and listening to, and meeting with, my constituents.
I also got a chance to lace up my running shoes, and while I am certainly not as fit as I used to be, it was a great day out at the Cape Kidnappers Trail run.
I loved doing it with my daughter Sophie, although she was much faster than me - 1st female in the 6km race!
The event showcases the best of the Bay - running alongside our beaches, farmland and forest.
Thanks to Cole Murray and all the organisers for this amazing event which saw record numbers this year - more than 1400 on the course.
Well done to all who competed.
OUT AND ABOUT
Supporting conservation efforts at Ngamatea Station
I appreciate our NZ Hunters and Conservationists.
I just returned from a successful hunt at Ngamatea Station in Hawke’s Bay with the NZ Game Animal Council.
It was so amazing to be out in our environment appreciating nature and learning about the conservation work of our NZ Hunters.
The venison goes to families in Tāupo and Turangi c/o the Sika Foundation.
Our government supports successful hunter-led conservation.
Championing iconic, family-run businesses
Elle is fifth generation at Holly Bacon New Zealand - an amazing iconic family run business in Hastings.
We took a tour of the butchery and cafe, checking out some of Hawke’s Bay’s favourite products - the famous Holly ham, bacon and sausages.
Holly Bacon was founded in 1914 by the Vogtherr family, and the family is still delivering quality products across New Zealand.
As the local MP I love visiting local businesses and looking at ways in which we can better support businesses like Holly Bacon.
Thanks to Elle and her family for all you do in our community.
Behind the scenes look at a world-class facility
I spend a lot of time at the EIT Institute of Sport & Health HB with my kids, and it was great to go behind the scenes with the amazing team who manage this world class facility and get an understanding of the operations and the benefit it brings to our region.
The Sports Park attracts thousands of people to Hawke’s Bay each year and we are so lucky to have this facility at our back door!
Backing rural
It was amazing to see the record prices at our Hawke’s Bay Saleyards.
The stock prices and farmer confidence are at record highs., and there is global demand for our NZ beef and lamb, which strengthens our economy and creates jobs and opportunity.
Our government is backing our farmers and growers, by reducing red tape, bringing down inflation and interest rates, investing in infrastructure and strengthening trade deals across the world.
The Primary sector is the backbone of our economy, and we will continue to support our rural communities.
Go the Magpies!
What an amazing game to watch! It was great to watch the Magpies play and win over Auckland 45-28. Go Magpies!
Revolutionising strawberry farming
Tatsumi NZ are revolutionising strawberry farming in New Zealand, growing 15 kilometres of strawberries under cover in Hawke’s Bay.
Now Takushi and Mayumi and their team have launched a new Japanese strawberry variety, which I was excited to officially launch.
Nyoho strawberries are being exported to Japan.
Our government is focused on doubling the value of our exports in the next 10 years to strengthen our economy, grow jobs and lift wages - and supporting our exporters is essential to achieve this.
Congratulations to the Tatsumi NZ team for investing in Hawke’s Bay and helping drive growth in our region.
Celebrating Women's Suffrage
I put on my camellia to celebrate 132 Years of Women’s Suffrage, since New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the vote.
New Zealand can be very proud of what we have achieved, and it was a privilege to mark our progress alongside other Hawke’s Bay women at a ceremony in Hastings.
We reflected on what we have achieved and the work we continue to do to empower women and girls across NZ.
Nourished for Nil impress
I always love visiting Nourished for Nil and meeting with Christina, Tracey and the rest of the team who do an incredible job minimising waste and providing for our community.
It was great to check out the new shelving which enables them to store more food and was a result of our government making the minimisation levy more flexible for councils. This is a win-win for the community and Nourished for Nil.
It was also good to get a tour of the new social supermarket in Hastings and understand how it is improving lives across our region.
Well done to the team and the volunteers who serve our community every day.
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Reduction in wait-time in ED
Healthcare in Hawke's Bay is getting faster and easier to access. We have shorter stays in ED, shorter waits for elective treatment and shorter waits for first specialist assessments.
Across the country, more patients are being seen sooner, getting faster diagnoses, and accessing the care they need. This means Kiwis can enjoy better health and everyday life sooner.
While there is still more to do, these improvements show the health system is turning a corner, with a record $30 billion investment supporting ongoing progress.
More diagnostics tests and faster answers for Kiwis
Health New Zealand will deliver an additional 75,000 diagnostic procedures this year through its $65 million Diagnostic Improvement Plan, aimed at reducing wait times for critical diagnostic procedures such as MRI scans, colonoscopies, and colonoscopies.
Over the next year, the programme will deliver 74,950 additional procedures through both public and private providers, including:
64,000 radiology procedures
7100 colonoscopies
2200 cardiac tests
1650 colposcopies
Changes to the earthquake-prone building system
Our changes to the earthquake-prone building system (EPB) will save New Zealanders more than $8.2bn in remediation and demolition costs.
We are removing the New Building Standard (NBS) ratings and replacing them with a new EPB system that will only capture buildings which pose a genuine risk to life in medium and high seismic zones.
Unreinforced masonry buildings under three storeys in small and rural towns will also no longer require remediation or warning notices, but owners must secure the façade before the building can be removed from the earthquake-prone register.
Local councils will have the authority to grant extensions to remediation deadlines of up to 15 years, giving building owners time to secure funding, plan and carry out any major work still required.
New residence options to bolster workforce
More Kiwi businesses will soon be able to attract and retain the workforce they need, with the Government’s introduction of two new skilled migrant residence pathways.
From mid-2026, there will be two new residence pathways:
Skilled Work Experience pathway
For migrants in skilled roles who have at least five years of directly relevant work experience, including at least two years of experience in New Zealand where they’ve been paid at least 1.1 times the median wage, and:
Trades and Technician pathway
For migrants in specified skilled roles who hold a relevant qualification at Level 4 or above and have at least four years of relevant post-qualification skilled work experience, including at least 18 months in New Zealand where they’ve been paid at or above the median wage.
Supercharging school infrastructure
Every child deserves to learn in a warm, dry and safe classroom. The Government is accelerating $413 million of investment in school infrastructure to improve classrooms and provide a significant boost for builders and tradies across New Zealand immediately.
The $413 million package consists of $58 million of new money, $100 million from Budget 24, $80 million of Ministry of Education Baseline, and $175 million of brought-forward funding.
$100 million boost to upgrade hospitals nationwide
The Government is delivering a major $100 million investment to accelerate improvements across New Zealand’s hospital facilities.
The $100 million programme will be delivered through two key streams:
21 local projects across the country to expand and modernise clinical spaces and supporting services.
A remediation programme focused on strengthening essential infrastructure and reducing the risk of disruption to clinical services.
Securing New Zealand's energy future
I am chair of the Environment Select Committee, and it is vital we make electricity more reliable and affordable.
At the moment we have some gaps in our energy system which are keeping prices high for consumers. New Zealand is producing a huge amount of renewable energy – more energy has been commissioned in the last 18 months than in the last 15 years. However, we don’t have enough backup options during our dry years, when we can’t rely on hydro lakes or wind to meet demand.
So, we have announced a package of initiatives that will help increase our supply of electricity and improve affordability.
To increase supply the Government is working with Genesis, Mercury and Meridian to build new generation, procuring a gas importation terminal, incentivising industry to start new energy projects by exploring how whole-of-government contracts could help underwrite projects, and speeding up consenting processes to allow renewable projects to be built faster.
To improve the market and help keep power prices down the Government is strengthening the Electricity Authority to ensure competition and fair pricing, requiring Transpower to better monitor supply risks and regulating to ensure power companies deliver the backup supply we need.